Moderate hiring climate expected

Charlottetown area employers expect a moderate hiring climate for the third quarter of 2014, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

“Survey data reveals that 30 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter (July to September) while 10 per cent anticipate cutbacks,” said Manpower’s Mindy Stoltz.

Another 57 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels in the upcoming quarter, while three percent of employers are unsure of their hiring intentions.

“With seasonal variations removed from the data, Charlottetown’s third quarter Net Employment Outlook of six per cent is an increase of four percentage points when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook,” said Stoltz. “It is also a five percentage point decrease from the Outlook reported during the same time last year, indicating a mild hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

Byrne Luft, vice president of operations for Manpower Canada, says starting this quarter they are also reporting national survey results based on the size of the organization: micro (1-9 employees), small (10-49 employees), medium (50-249 employees) and large (250+ employees).

He said once seasonal variations are taken into account, medium-sized organizations report the most optimistic Outlook of 21 per cent this quarter, followed by large organizations at a respectable 18 per cent.

“Small organizations report a hopeful Outlook of 11 per cent, while micro organizations indicate a mild hiring pace, with an Outlook of three per cent. Although a fair hiring climate is projected for the third quarter of 2014, we are seeing some potential for brighter opportunities for job seekers,” said Luft.

“On the whole, the survey indicates that one out of every five employers intend to add to their payrolls in the next three months. Plus, employment levels in professional, scientific and services sectors are hitting record highs and Canadian manufacturers' sales are returning to pre-recession levels. However, Canada currently has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment among all countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).”